Method and system for cleaning of ice maker

ABSTRACT

A method and system for cleaning of an ice maker forcing the ice maker to proceed with a cleaning cycle when cleaning of the ice maker is necessary, the method and system including: a cleaning grace period determination step determining, by a controller, whether a cleaning grace period, which allows the cleaning of the ice maker to be deferred, has elapsed when a time for performing a cleaning cycle of the ice maker comes during operation of the ice maker; an ice-separating determination step determining, by the controller, whether ice-separating operation has completed for current ice-making operation when the cleaning grace period is determined to have elapsed; and an operation stop step controlling, by the controller, the cleaning to proceed by stopping actions related to the ice-making and ice-separating operations of the ice maker when the ice-separating operation is completed.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0026649, filed Mar. 3, 2020, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure provides a method and system for cleaning of an ice maker for forcing the cleaning of the ice maker to proceed when cleaning of the ice maker is necessary.

BACKGROUND

An ice maker is a device that makes ice. Looking at a process of making pieces of ice in the ice maker, a water supply process in which water is filled into a water tank from the outside is performed through a water inlet valve.

When the water tank is filled with the water through this process, the water is supplied to an evaporator through a spray tube as a water pump is operated. At this time, the pieces of ice start to be produced through heat exchange between refrigerant, which becomes cold as a compressor is operated, and the water flowing on the evaporator.

Accordingly, as the pieces of ice become large, the water level in the water tank continues to decrease, and when all the pieces of ice are made, a level sensor indicates a low water level.

At this time, the ice maker determines that ice production is completed and proceeds with an ice-separating process for separating the pieces of ice from the evaporator.

Subsequently, when the pieces of ice are completely separated from the evaporator, the ice maker proceeds with an ice-making process again, and may continuously produce the pieces of ice through a continuous ice-making and ice-separating process.

On the other hand, the ice maker is a product that functions to produce the pieces of ice by using the water as above, and when used for a long time, it may be easily contaminated due to scale or impurities in the water, so it is necessary to use and manage the ice maker hygienically.

Accordingly, a user of the ice maker may hygienically use and manage the ice maker through the operation of periodically cleaning and sterilizing the inside and outside of the ice maker. However, in order to maintain the cleanliness of the ice maker, there was an inconvenience of managing a separate schedule of a time when the ice maker was cleaned, the ice maker should be cleaned again, and so on.

The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and is not intended to mean that the present disclosure falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Accordingly, the present disclosure has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the related art, and the present disclosure is intended to provide a method and system for cleaning of an ice maker for forcing the cleaning of the ice maker to proceed when a time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker comes.

In order to achieve the above objective according to the present disclosure, there may be provided a method and system for cleaning of an ice maker, the method and system including: determining, by a controller, whether a cleaning grace period, which allows the cleaning of the ice maker to be deferred, has elapsed when a time for performing a cleaning cycle of the ice maker comes during operation of the ice maker; determining, by the controller, whether ice-separating operation has completed for current ice-making operation when the cleaning grace period is determined to have elapsed; and controlling, by the controller, the cleaning to proceed by stopping actions related to the ice-making and ice-separating operations of the ice maker when the ice-separating operation is completed.

When the cleaning grace period is determined not to have elapsed in the determining whether the cleaning grace period has elapsed, the ice maker may be controlled to normally perform the ice-making and ice-separating operations while notifying that the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker has come.

In the determining whether the ice-separating operation has completed for the current ice-making operation, the ice maker may be controlled to be operated normally until the ice-separating operation is completed for the current ice-making operation.

The time for performing the cleaning cycle and the cleaning grace period may be set on the basis of operating time of the ice maker or number of ice-making and ice-separating cycles.

The method may further include: resetting the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker when the cleaning of the ice maker is determined to have been completed; and starting to count number of the cleaning cycles again when the ice maker is restarted.

The present disclosure may include: a cleaning time determination unit determining whether cleaning is necessary on the basis of a time for performing a cleaning cycle and a cleaning grace period of the ice maker during operation of the ice maker; an operation determination unit determining whether ice-separating operation has been completed for current ice-making operation when the cleaning of the ice maker is determined to be necessary because both the time for performing the cleaning cycle and the cleaning grace period have elapsed; and an operation controller controlling the cleaning to proceed by stopping actions related to the ice-making and ice-separating operations of the ice maker when the ice-separating operation is completed.

Through the above-described method and system, the present disclosure prohibits most operations related to the ice-making function of the ice maker when the cleaning grace period which allows the cleaning to be deferred also comes, in a state where the time for performing a preset cleaning cycle of the ice maker has come. Subsequently, the ice maker may be cleanly maintained by forcibly performing the cleaning of the ice maker.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objectives, features, and other advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system for cleaning of an ice maker according to the present disclosure; and

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an entire process of cleaning of the ice maker according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinbelow, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Specific structural or functional descriptions of the embodiments of the present disclosure disclosed in the present specification or the application are merely exemplified for the purpose of illustrating the embodiments according to the present disclosure, and the embodiments according to the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described in the present specification or application.

Since the embodiments according to the present disclosure may be modified in various ways and have various forms, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the present specification or application. However, this is not intended to limit the embodiments according to the concept of the present disclosure to specific disclosure forms, and it should be understood that the embodiments above include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Terms such as first, second, and the like may be used to describe various components, but the components above should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component, for example, without departing from the scope of rights according to the concept of the present disclosure, the first component may be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component.

When a component is said to be “coupled” or “connected” to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly coupled or connected to another component, but the other component may exist in the middle therebetween. On the other hand, when a component is said to be “directly coupled” or “directly connected” to another component, it should be understood that no other component exists in the middle therebetween. Other expressions that describe the relationship between the components, such as “˜ between” and “˜immediately between”, “˜ neighboring to” and “˜ directly neighboring to”, or the like should be interpreted similarly.

The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, it should be understood that the term “include”, “have”, or the like is intended to indicate that: a feature, a number, a step, an action, a component, a part, or a combination thereof is present; and the presence or addibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts or combinations thereof is not precluded.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. Terms such as those defined in a commonly used dictionary should be interpreted as meanings consistent with meanings in the context of related technologies, and are not to be interpreted as ideal or excessively formal meanings unless explicitly defined herein.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system for cleaning of an ice maker according to the present disclosure.

With reference to the drawing, first, a cleaning time determination unit 110 determines whether cleaning is necessary on the basis of a time for performing a cleaning cycle and the cleaning grace period of the ice maker during the operation of the ice maker.

To this end, the time for performing the cleaning cycle and the cleaning grace period may be stored in the cleaning time determination unit 110, wherein the time for performing the cleaning cycle and the cleaning grace period may be set on the basis of the operating time of the ice maker or the number of times of ice-making and ice-separating of the ice maker.

Thus, operation time or the number of times of both the ice-making and ice-separating of the ice maker may be counted or input in real time into the cleaning time determination unit 110 according to the operation of the ice maker, and in the cleaning time determination unit 110, operation time or the number of times of both the ice-making and ice-separating of the ice maker may be counted or input in real time according to the operation of the ice maker, and a situation whether the cleaning is required may be determined by comparing the operation time of the ice maker or the number of times of both the ice-making and ice-separating of the ice maker with a pre-stored time for performing the cleaning cycle and a cleaning grace period.

An operation determination unit 120 determines whether the ice-separating operation for the current ice-making operation has been completed when the cleaning of the ice maker is determined to be necessary because both time for performing the cleaning cycle and the cleaning grace period have elapsed as a result of the determination by the cleaning time determination unit 110.

That is, looking at the process of the ice-making, an ice-making process proceeds through the operation of heat exchange between an evaporator that is cooled and water flowing on the evaporator, and an ice-separating process separating the pieces of ice from the evaporator proceeds when ice production is completed according to the ice-making operation, whereby the pieces of ice are made. Accordingly, whether all ice-separating operations for the ice-making operation of a corresponding turn have been completed may be determined.

An operation controller 130 controls the cleaning to proceed by stopping actions related to the ice-making and ice-separating operations of the ice maker when the ice- separating operation is determined to be completed as a result of the determination by the operation determination unit 120.

For example, the operation controller 130 stops operations of valves and the like, actively operated in a path through which water and refrigerant are circulated, including a water pump and a compressor for the operation of the ice-making and ice-separating, thereby controlling the ice-making operation and ice-separating operation to be prevented from being newly accomplished after the corresponding ice-separating operation has been completed.

That is, when the cleaning grace period which allows the cleaning to be deferred also comes, in a state where the time for performing the preset cleaning cycle of the ice maker has come, only the ice-separating operation for the ice-making operation currently being performed is allowed, and when the ice-separating operation is completed, most of the operations related to the ice-making function of the ice maker is prohibited.

As such, the present disclosure may induce cleaning of the ice maker to be forcibly performed without further delay, thereby allowing the ice maker to be cleaned.

On the other hand, FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an entire process of cleaning of the ice maker according to the present disclosure.

Looking specifically at the present disclosure with reference to FIG. 2, the process of cleaning of the ice maker is configured to include: a cleaning grace period determination step determining, by a controller 100, whether a cleaning grace period, which allows the cleaning of the ice maker to be deferred, has elapsed when the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker comes during the operation of the ice maker; an ice-separating determination step determining, by the controller 100, whether the ice-separating operation has completed for the current ice-making operation when the cleaning grace period is determined to have elapsed; and an operation stop step controlling, by the controller 100, the cleaning to proceed by stopping actions related to the ice-making and ice-separating operations of the ice maker when the ice-separating operation is completed, by the controller 100.

As such, when a period during which the cleaning of the ice maker is necessary has come, the present disclosure allows only the ice-separating operation at the corresponding turn to be performed, and then the operation related to the ice-making function of the ice maker is prohibited, thereby forcing the ice maker to enter a cleaning cycle without being delayed. Accordingly, the ice maker may be cleaned.

For reference, the controller 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be embodied through a non-volatile memory (not shown) and a processor (not shown), wherein the non-volatile memory is configured to store an algorithm, which is configured to control the operation of various components of an ice maker machine, or data which is related to software instructions to regenerate the algorithm above, and the processor is configured to perform the operation described below using data stored in the corresponding memory.

Here, the memory and the processor may be implemented as separate chips. Alternatively, the memory and processor may be integrally implemented as a single chip. In addition, the processor may take the form of one or more processors.

On the other hand, when the cleaning grace period is determined not to have elapsed in the step of the determining the cleaning grace period, the ice-making and ice-separating operations of the ice maker may be controlled to be normally performed while notifying that the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker has come.

That is, when the time for performing the cleaning cycle that requires cleaning has come according to the operation of the ice maker, but the cleaning grace period has not elapsed, the user is notified of the situation in which the time for performing the cleaning cycle has come, and the ice maker is controlled to be operated normally.

Through this, when the ice maker is used in a public facility or a commercial facility, it is possible to prevent the ice maker from being suddenly stopped during business hours, and the cleaning may proceed by avoiding the business hours.

In addition, in the step of the determining ice-separating, the ice maker may be controlled to be operated normally until the ice-separating operation is completed for the current ice-making operation.

That is, even when a cleaning grace period has elapsed after the time for performing the cleaning cycle came, the ice-separating operation, being currently performed to make pieces of ice, is controlled to be operated normally, whereby the customer's complaint of the ice maker may be minimized.

In addition, the time for performing the cleaning cycle and the cleaning grace period may be set on the basis of the operating time or the number of both the ice-making and ice-separating of the ice maker, which may be set differently for each region or country where the ice maker is used or may be arbitrarily set by a user.

Here, the cleaning grace period may be counted from when the time for performing the cleaning cycle comes, and when the cleaning grace period is set with a big margin, for example to about 12 hours, the ice maker may be prevented from being suddenly stopped.

For reference, the time for performing the cleaning cycle may be displayed on a notification window of the ice maker, and when the time for performing the cleaning cycle and the cleaning grace period has elapsed, it may be displayed or notified through a notification window.

On the other hand, a step of resetting the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker when the cleaning of the ice maker is determined to have completed and a step of starting to count the number of the cleaning cycles again when the ice maker is restarted may be further included.

That is, after the cleaning of the ice maker is completed, and when the ice maker is not operated by putting the ice maker on stand by for power supply by only finishing the cleaning of the ice maker, the number of the cleaning cycles are not counted. Of course, when the ice maker is re-operated, the number of the cleaning cycles are counted again.

As such, looking at the cleaning process of the ice maker according to the present disclosure as a whole, whether the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker has come during the operation of the ice maker is determined in S10.

When the time for performing the cleaning cycle is determined to have come as a result of the determination in step S10, while a notification window of the ice maker displays a warning or notifications by voice, the ice-making and ice-separating operations of the ice maker are controlled to be normally performed in S20.

In addition, in parallel with this, whether the cleaning grace period has elapsed is determined in S30, and when the cleaning grace period has not elapsed as a result of the determination, the operation of the ice maker is controlled by entering into step S20.

On the other hand, when the cleaning grace period is determined to have elapsed as a result of the determination in step S30, whether the ice-separating operation for the corresponding ice-making operation has been completed is determined in S40.

When the ice-separating operation is not completed as a result of the determination in step S40, the ice maker is normally operated until the ice-separating operation is completed, thereby completing the ice-separating operation in S50.

On the other hand, when the ice-separating operation is completed as a result of the determination in step S40, all operations related to the ice-making and ice-separating functions of the ice maker are stopped, thereby forcibly performing the cleaning of the ice maker to proceed in S60.

On the other hand, after the operation of the ice maker is stopped in step S60, whether cleaning is completed is determined in S70. Whether or not cleaning is completed may be confirmed through disassembling the ice maker parts that need cleaning.

When the cleaning is not completed as a result of the determination in step S70, the ice maker is kept in a stopped state, and when the cleaning is determined to be completed, the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker is reset in S80.

Subsequently, whether the ice maker is restarted is determined in S90.

When the ice maker is restarted as a result of the determination in step S90, the cleaning cycle starts to count number of the cleaning cycles again in S100, and when the ice maker is not restarted, the standby state is maintained without counting the number of the cleaning cycle of the ice maker in S110.

As such, the present disclosure permits only the ice-separating operation for the ice-separating operation currently being performed, when the cleaning grace period which allows the cleaning to be deferred also comes, in a state where the time for performing the preset cleaning cycle of the ice maker has come. Since most of the operations related to the ice-making function of the product are prohibited when the ice-separating operation is completed, subsequently, the ice maker may be cleanly maintained by forcibly performing the cleaning of the ice maker.

On the other hand, the present disclosure has been described only in detail with respect to the specific examples described above, but it is apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains that various modifications and variations are possible within the technical scope of the present disclosure, and it is natural that such modifications and modifications belong to the appended claims. 

1. A method for cleaning of an ice maker, the method comprising: determining, by a controller, whether a cleaning grace period, which allows the cleaning of the ice maker to be deferred, has elapsed when a time for performing a cleaning cycle of the ice maker comes during operation of the ice maker; determining, by the controller, whether an ice-separating operation has completed for a current ice-making operation when the cleaning grace period is determined to have elapsed; and controlling, by the controller, the cleaning to proceed by stopping actions related to the current ice-making and ice-separating operations of the ice maker when the ice-separating operation is completed.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the cleaning grace period is determined not to have elapsed in the determining whether the cleaning grace period has elapsed, the ice maker is controlled to normally perform the ice-making and ice-separating operations while notifying that the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker has come.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein in the determining whether the ice-separating operation has completed for the current ice-making operation, the ice maker is controlled to be operated normally until the ice-separating operation is completed for the current ice-making operation.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the time for performing the cleaning cycle and the cleaning grace period are set on the basis of operating time of the ice maker or number of ice-making and ice-separating cycles.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: resetting the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker when the cleaning of the ice maker is determined to have been completed; and starting to count number of the cleaning cycles again when the ice maker is restarted.
 6. A system for cleaning of an ice maker, the system comprising: a cleaning time determination unit determining whether cleaning is necessary on the basis of a time for performing a cleaning cycle and a cleaning grace period of the ice maker during operation of the ice maker; an operation determination unit determining whether ice-separating operation has been completed for current ice-making operation when the cleaning of the ice maker is determined to be necessary because both the time for performing the cleaning cycle and the cleaning grace period have elapsed; and an operation controller controlling the cleaning to proceed by stopping actions related to the ice-making and ice-separating operations of the ice maker when the ice-separating operation is completed.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein when the cleaning time determination unit determines that the cleaning grace period has not been elapsed, the ice-maker is controlled to normally perform the ice-making and ice-separating operations while notifying that the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker has come.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein the ice maker is controlled to be operated normally until the operation determination unit determines that the ice-separating operation is completed for the current ice-making operation.
 9. The system of claim 6, wherein the time for performing the cleaning cycle and the cleaning grace period are set on the basis of operating time of the ice maker or number of ice-making and ice-separating cycles.
 10. The system of claim 6, wherein the time for performing the cleaning cycle of the ice maker is reset when the cleaning of the ice maker is determined to have been completed; and number of the cleaning cycles is started to be counted again when the ice maker is restarted. 